Comets come out on top, progress to finals

Darius Shahheydari Fort-CoulongeMarch 7, 2020 Saturday night saw the Pontiac Senior Comets defeating Diables de Mont-Tremblant 9-6 at the Fort-Coulonge arena and advancing through to the finals. Hugo Petit’s goal proved to be the turning point in the game for the Comets. With the game tied at 5-5, Petit’s first-time shot from a tight angle on the left-hand side gave Pontiac a lead they would cease to surrender. The Diables had been teasing the Comets throughout the game, grabbing their sticks away, holding them by the boards for longer than necessary and constantly jabbing at their heads. The Comets managed to keep their composure throughout most of the game. At the end, however, tensions finally boiled over. Following an exchange of words, Comet Connor Romain and the Diables’ Kevin Auger dropped their gloves. Proving the winner in the interchange, Auger skated off the ice waving his arms up and down, further infuriating a home crowd that had already had enough of him. With less than a minute left in the final period, both their penalties were insignificant. The Comets ended the first period with a 5-1 lead, only to see the Diables score 5 unanswered goals in the second and beginning of the third period.Alexandre Boucher, Diables’ head coach, said he told his players what he tells them all the time when they are in such a deficit. “We can’t give up, we must go on the ice, give everything we have, and whatever happens we must put our heart on the ice,” he said. Comets Captain Darcy Findlay tied it up for the Comets again in the third, making it 6-6. He thought it was unacceptable that his team gave up their significant lead. “We’re too good to be down like that,” said Findlay. Findlay sprained his ankle in the first period. With it turning purple, he came back on to score. “I was thinking it was quite a story,” he said. Comets head coach Jean-François Lavergne said his team showed a lot of character to come away with the victory. “It was nice to see the guys show up like that in the third [period] and get the win,” he said. Lavergne believed his team felt too comfortable going into the second, when they gave up their lead. “I always said a three-nothing lead is the worst lead you can have,” he said. “Now I think it’s four.” The Pontiac Senior Comets are playing a double-header in the finals this weekend. They’ll be taking on the Forestiers at home on Saturday, March 14 before traveling to Maniwaki the next day.

Diables player Kevin Auger and Comets player Connor Romain have had enough of each other. This is the result of the Comets being picked at constantly throughout the game.

Diables player Andy Frias-Perron chases down lost possesion. Despite his team’s comeback in the second period, they were unable to take the victory.

Finishing the first period with a four goal lead, the Comets were too comfortable coming back from the break, according to their coach Jean-François Lavergne.

The visiting team held the puck in the Comet’s end for the majority of the last few minutes of the game, but were unable to cut the two-goal deficit.

Comets’ Ryan Peck takes the puck around the Diables’ player. His team squandered a four goal lead in the second period.

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